Unit construction of flying controls for airplanes



Sept 6, 1944. J. MARTIN 2,359,233

' UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF ume commons FOR-AIRPLANES Filed Oct. 27,1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 26, 1944. MARTlN 2,359,233

UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTROLS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Oct. 2'7, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 sept- 1944' J; MARTIN 2,359,233

I UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTROLS FOR'AIRPLANE S V Filed Oct. 27, 194]. 6 Shets-Sheet 5 J. MARTIN 2,359,233

UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTROLS FOR AIRPLANES Sept; 26, 1944.

Filed 001;. 27, 1941 s Sheets- Sheet 4 A be Sept. 26, 1944. J. MARTIN 2,359,233

2 UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTRQL S FOR AIRPLANES Filed Oct. 27, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. MARTIN Sept. 26, 1944.

UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTROLS FOR AIRPLANES Filed 0st. 27, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 humZZr Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNIT CONSTRUCTION OF FLYING CONTROLS FOR AIRPLANES James Martin, Higher Denhain, near Uxbridge, England Application October '27, 1941, Serial No. 416,668 In Great Britain November 1, 1940 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the manually operated manoeuvring controls of airplanes. In the present manufacture of airplanes the fitting of the various elements of such controls in juxtaposition to the pilots seat involves a large amount of time and labour owing to the rudder, elevator and aileron controls only being adapted for individual assembly and fitting, the accurate location, connection and alignment of co-operating parts also adding to the time involved in completing the assembly. The chief object of this invention is to obviate this disadvantage whilst minimising the use of the higher grade skilled work required for the fitting of such parts; In addition to the foregoing due regard is'paid to the positional relationship of the pilots seat and the said controls both for the purpose of assembly and a reasonable latitude of adjustment'of the seat to suit the differences in the height and reach of pilots and a further object of this invention is to provide a unit construction of flying controls which also includes the seat with position adjusting means so that the whole is ready for location in an airplane in such manner as to obviate the necessity of fittin the seat and its adjusting means separately whilst ensuring correct alignment of seat and pilots controls and economising in space and material. A still further object of this invention is to provide a unit which can be assembled, correctly adjusted and formin a finished entity ready to be fitted into a machine.

According to this invention a unit construction of flying controls for an airplane is characterised in that the elevator, aileron and rudder controls are carried by a common main support in such manner as to form a unit adapted to be readily secured within an airplane.

In carrying one form of this invention into practice a unit construction of flying controls comprises rudder, elevator and aileron controls mounted upon a common longitudinal hollow member upon which is also adjustably mounted the pilots seat and also foot-rests, means being provided on the tubular member to readily secure it within the airplane so that it constitutes a relatively fixed longitudinal supporting element of the machine within the pilots cockpit. The said longitudinal tubular member is preferably a series of thin sheet metal tubes stiflened and united on a common axis by flanges pressed therefrom or riveted thereto, but it may comprise or include a number of light metal castings. Bearings for a centre shaft are provided within the tube, the centre shaft having the control lever pivotally connected to it for fore and aft oscillation to acturequirements of different pilots.

ate the elevator, and being oscillatable on its axis to enable the control lever to bemanipulated sideways to control the ailerons. A rudder bar is oscillatably supported at the front end of the tube, and the pilots seat is mounted at the rear end, the pedal stirrups of the rudder bar and also the seat being translatively adjustable to suit the Openings are provided in the tube to admit levers which connect the said shaft to the rods, links or cables which form the connecting means to the remotely situated elevator, ailerons and rudder. With the control lever projecting upwards from the tube approximately midway between the ends of the tube a compact and well balanced assembly is provided.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect drawings are appended hereto illustrating embodimenfs thereof, and wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation view showing the complete assembly and with part of the footboards broken away for clearness of other parts, adjacent parts of the fuselage framework being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3. is a front elevation view of Fig. 1 but omitting the control lever and seat in order to show more clearly the rudder bar.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation of a modification showing the preferred form of main tubular member of the assembly.

Fig. 5 is a part sectional side elevation view of the rudder bar mounting, and

Fig: dis a plan view, partly in section, of the rudder bar.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the pilots seat I, control lever 2 and'rudder bar 3 are carried by a common central longitudinal tubular structure 4 to afford a unitary assembly ready for mounting in an airplane fuselage, the frame elements of which and to which the unit can be'readily secured, are indicated by the broken lines 5a.

The tubular structure 4 is preferably, as shown in'Fig. 4, a series of thin steel sections 40., 4b and 40 with flanges 5 pressed therefrom to receive bolts 6 rigidly securing the tube sections in co-axial alignment, sheet metal partitions 1 and 8 being located by the bolts 6 and clamped between the flanges 5, to support bearings 9 and I0 respectively supporting the ends ofa central control shaft H to which is connected the control lever socket l2 receivingthe control lever 2.

Thepartition 8 is dished as shown to afford a rigid support for its bearing I which is designed to take the thrust on the shaft II, the other partition I supporting the housing for the bearing 9 which is free for endwise movement therein. The bearings 9 and I0 are located on the shaft II by the nuts Ila and III) which are tightened on the ends of the shaft. The larger bearing It! takes the thrust in both directions, and the control lever is in juxtaposition to this more robust bearing. Both the partitions 'I and 8 are stiffened by peripheral fianges Ia and 8a and the element 4b of the support tube 4 is apertured at I4 and I above and below the shaft to accommodate the control lever 2 and a depending arm I5 to which the elevator of the tail section is connected by any suitable means. These openings I4 and I5 are surmounted by flared collars Ma and I5a respectively affording movement limiting stops for the control lever both laterally and fore and aft.

The lateral movements of the control lever are transmitted from the shaft II to the ailerons when the shaft I I is oscillated, and for this purpose a collar I1 is fixed on the shaft II and carries a radial bifurcated lug Ila to which is connected one end of an arm or link I8, the other end of which has connected to it the rods, links, cables or the equivalent thereof extending to the ailerons.

The tube 4 is shown in the remaining figures in the form of three light alloy or metal castings, also indicated by the reference numerals 4a, 4b and 4c, with flanges 5 to receive the bolts 8, the shaft II being supported by hearings in partition plates I and 8 as previously described. In both forms of support tube the end section 4a carries the rudder bar 3, and the end section 4c carries the seat I.. The seat is adjustable substantially vertically, and the rudder bar embodies means for adjusting the position of pedal stirrups I9 fore and aft relatively to the seat, thus affording a wide range of adjustment for pilots of different dimensions.

The manner of supporting the seat consists in mounting it for adjustment in a substantially parallel link manner by means of four substantially L-shaped levers in the form of a pair of like front levers 20 and a pair of like rear levers 2I, the rear levers 2I being fixed at their elbows to a transverse horizontal shaft 22 journalled in bearings in upper corner lugs 23 of a fixed frame 24. The frame 24 (see Fig. 2) is secured by lower comer depending brackets 25 to a transverse horizontal frame member 26 of the aircraft, and the fixed frame 24 comprises a centre collar 24a fixed on to the adjacent end of the tube 4, and webs 24b uniting the collar 24a to stout side flanges 24c which carry the said corner lugs 23 and brackets 25. This frame 24 comprises the means for supporting the rear end of the tube 4, the front end being supported by the beforesaid partition plate I which in common with the partition plate 8 has a triangular perimeter. The apex of the plate I is lowermost and has riveted to it a two-piece collar 11) (see Fig. 4) through which is passed a stout bolt 2'! clamping the upper ends of a pair of depending plates 28 (see Fig. 1) the lower ends of which are secured by a bolt 29 to a lug 30 on a transverse frame member 3| of the aircraft. The plates 28 are channelled for stiffness, and in conjunction with the two rear brackets 25 afford a three-point suspension for the unitary assembly and also a simple and readily effected connection. Also the two plates I and 8 have a pair of longitudinal footboards 33 bolted by bolts 32 to the upper or horizontal parts of their flanges Ia and 8a, these footboards being shown broken away in Fig. 1 to avoid partly obscuring the section 4b of the support tube 4 and the control lever 2. The socket I2 which receives the control lever 2 is secured to the beforesaid depending arm I6 which can be a pair of light channel section members bolted by bolts I60. (see Fig. 4) to a pair of side plates 34 with bosses and bearings 35 at their centres oscillating on a transverse pin 36 fixed diametrically in the centre shaft I I.

The two pairs of L-shaped levers 2| and 22 are connected for parallel motion by a longitudinal pair of links 31, and a pair of stout coiled tension springs 38 yieldingly oppose the depression of the seat by being anchored at their upper ends to lugs 39 fixedly secured to the shaft 22 and at their lower ends to rearwardly directed lugs 40 on the central collar 24a of the bracket 24. The seat is secured at the desired level by a spring loaded plunger 4I supported inside one of the rear L-shaped levers 2| and engaged in a selected part of an arcuate rack bar 42 fixed by bolts 43 to the adjacent side flange 240 of the rear frame 24.

' part of the weight of the pilot and seat, very little effort exerted by the pilot on the lever 58 enables him to raise or lower himself and his seat to the most comfortable position. The

seat is locked in the adjusted position by releasing the hand grip lever 49 which allows the plunger 41 to click home in the rack bar 42. The hand grip lever 49 is connected tothe springloaded plunger M by a rod 5| and lever 52 on a spindle 53 passing through the appropriate seat supporting lever 2I and suitably connected to the plunger M.

The rear frame 24 is also formed with arearwardly directed pair of lugs 44 carrying atransverse pivot pin of a depending arm 46, the lower end of which carries a link 41 to which can be pivoted a rod, link or cable forming part of the means connecting the rear end of a longitudinal link 48 (see Fig. 1) to the elevator, the front end of this link 48 being pivoted to the beforesaid depending lever I5. of. the control 1e,- ver 2. Thus the unitary assembly is also ready to receive the elevator and aileron control rods, links or cables, the connection of the link 48. to the members I6 and 41 being by ball and socket or other universal joints to. compensate for the aileron control movements of the control lever 2. The rudder bar 3 is composed of a number of parts which enable the stirrups .I.9 to be adjusted fore and aft relatively to. the seat and,

also ensures that during operation of the rudder bar the stirrups remalin transverse to the axis.

more particularly Fig. 6) having a longitudinal:

axis in relation to the tube 4,' and formed with a. star headv 54a readily accessible to the pilot for v rotating the worm to traverse a nut 55 along the worm. This nut 55 is connected by a. pair 60 are dished or flanged for stiffness and across.

their rear ends is supported a collar 64 for a bearing 65 for one end of the worm 54,-the other end of this worm being supported by another bearing 66 also mounted in collar 6'! disposed between the opposed faces of the two plates 59 and 60.

It will be apparent that fore or aft movement of the two pivoted rudder bar arms 51 will move the stirrups through an ancuate path and consequently it would be undesirable with such a form of movement to relate the stirrups fixedly with the rudder bar arms as they would involve discomfort and awkwardness for the pilot as they moved in opposite directions. To obviate this means is provided to maintain the stirrups always truly transverse in relation to the axis of the support tube 4, or in any event in positions truly facing the normal fore and aft movements of the pilot's feet. Such means comprises a pair of long links 68 substantially parallel with and just in advance of the rudder bar arm 51, these links being anchored by a bolt 12 pivotally at one end to the apex of a somewhat triangular plate 69 secured by bolts 10 to a hollow boss II carried by the tube element 4a, and anchored at their outer ends to a pair of cranks 13.fixed to vertical spindles 14 on which are slid bosses 15 integral with the pedals, tapered locking pins 16 being passed through the bosses and spindles to firmly secure the pedals on the oscillatable spindles 14. It will be evident that the long links 68 will automatically adjust the pedals relative to the rudder bar arms 51 as the arms 51 are moved for manoeuvring, or for adjustment by the worm 54, and that thisadjustment will be such as to keep the pedals truly opposed to the normal thrust of the pilots feet.

The rudder bar shaft 63 is supported in bearings 11, and 18 on the beforesaid hollow upper boss H and in a lower diametrically opposed hollow boss 19 on the tube element 4a, and the lower end of this shaft carries a pair of grooved segments 80 which receive the rudder control cables or links. The limit of rudder control angle of movement is determined by a pair of stops in the form of two horns 8| projecting rearwardly from the rear corners of the substantially triangular plate 59, these stops forming abutments for a roller or pin 82 depending from an arm 83 radiating from the oscillatable collar GI.

The present invention provides all of the directly manually operated manoeuvring components and their closely related parts of an airplane in a compact unitary form in which the only requirement for fitting into an airplane is the three point attachment of the support tube 4 and the connection of the elevator, rudder and aileron cables, rods or links to parts adapted to readily receive them, and also the unitary assembly does not depend upon other fixtures or devices in the pilots cabin for the purpose of adjusting the seat and rudder bar to the individual requirements of pilots.

I claim:

1. A unit construction of manually operated controls of an airplane comprising a longitudinal hollow support with means at or near its ends for readily securing it to frameelements of the aircraft, a vertically adjustable seat at one end of the support and a fore and aft adjustable rudder bar carried by the other end, stirrups carried by said rudder bar, a control column oscillatably carried by the support between the seat and the rudder bar, means for the occupant of the seat to readily select the seat level and to lock the seat in selected position, means to readily select and secure the desired position of the stirrups of the rudder bar, a pair of bearings in said support, a longitudinal shaft supported by said bearings for oscillation on its axis for transmitting control column movements .to the allerons, a control column receiving member relatively oscillatably carried by said shaft for operating the elevator and operatively connecting the control column to the said longitudinal shaft, means inside said support carrying one of said bearings and affording a limited amount of endwise or axial yield, and a silfened support for the other bearing to take the axial thrust on said shaft.

2. A unit construction of flying controls for airplanes comprising a longitudinally disposed tubular support formed in three sections means on the support to secure it to the frame members of the airplane, a support for a bearing located between each section, a shaft supported in said bearings one of which locates the shaft in an endwise direction, means connecting the shaft to the ailerons so that oscillating movement of the shaft controls the ailerons, a control column pivotally connected to said shaft so that lateral movement of the column will oscillate the shaft about its axis, and connecting means from the control column to the elevator of the airplane so that fore and aft movement of the column will control the elevator. a

3. In a unit construction of manually operated rudder, elevator and aileron controls and seat supporting means for an airplane a longitudinal single axis tubular main supporting member, seat supporting means carried at one end and rudder controlling means carried at the other end of the main tubular member, a longitudinal shaft rotatable on its axis substantially concentrically in said tubular support for transmitting motion to the ailerons, a control column passing through the periphery of said main tubular member and pivoted to said shaft on an axis transverse tocthe axis of the shaft for actuating said shaft and for controlling the elevator, and means aflixed to said tubular support member for fixedly securing it to the framework of the airplane;

4. In combination as a unit assembly a pilots seat, rudder-bar and elevator and aileron control column mounted upon a common longitudinal centrally disposed subjacent tubular main supporting member provided at its ends with means for rigidly securingit to the framework of the pilots cabin or cockpit, a member mounted inside said tubular supporting member to oscillate on a longitudinal axis relatively to such supporting member to transmit lateral movements of the control column to the ailerons, and a member for transmitting fore and aft movements of the control columnto the elevator, pivoted to said oscillatable member and receiving the control column and projecting through the periphery of said tubular supporting member for connection to the elevator.

5. A unit construction of manually operated controls and a. seat for an airplane. comprising co-axial tubular elements joined together to form a rigid single main tubular support for the controls and the seat and. extending longitudinally centrally relatively to the seat, bearings incorporated with the joints of the tubular elements, a shaft inside the tubular support supported in said bearings and receiving the manually operated control member for the ailerons and elevator, adjustable supporting members for the seat extending above and connected to one end of said main tubular support, and rudder-bar supporting means .oscillatably mounted in the other end of said support.

6. A unit construction of manually operated controls and a seat for an airplane comprising tubes assembled co-axially as. a. single rigid main tubular supporting member, means on said elements to mount the supporting member fixedly longitudinally in the airplane, an oscillatable vertical rudder bar shaft supported diametrically in one end of said supporting member, seat supporting elements attached to the other end 0! said supporting member, bearings inside said supporting. member, a longitudinal shaft supported by said bearings, a control lever receiving member pivoted for fore and aft oscillation to said shaft and for oscillating said shaft in said bearings, said control lever receiving member depending beyond its pivotal connection to the shaft and passing through the wall of the tubular support, a pivoted member supported by the rear end of said tubular support to transmit motion to the elevator, a link connecting said latter pivoted member to said depending extension of the control lever receiving member, and a further member depending through the Wall of said tubular supporting member and connected to said shaft for transmitting motion to the ailerons. r

JAMES MARTIN. 

